Philippines – National ID to ease delivery of social services: Diokno

MANILA – The government is planning to put in place a national ID system within President Rodrigo Duterte’s term to help ease the delivery of social services, one of his economic managers said Wednesday.

The national ID will replace all government-issued identification cards, except the passport and drivers’ license. It will contain biometric data and will be issued at birth and renewable when the citizen turns 18, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.

An executive order is being drafted for the national ID, which will be issued to all 105 million Filipinos “within two years of the enactment of the proposal,” he said.

“We intend to give all Filipinos a national id that will also function as a social welfare card,” Diokno told a tax forum.

The EMV or chip-based technology in the National ID will determine who can avail of discounts on transportation, medicine and health care services, he said.

The roll out of the national ID will prioritize senior citizens and the poorest 5 million households, he said.

A House of Representatives committee last month approved a bill that sought to unify government-issued identified cards into a single national ID.

Duterte’s predecessors had unsuccessfully pushed for a national ID, following criticism that could invade privacy.